I don't know how much of this you guys get. But compared to people my age I have much greater amounts of muscle mass. At my school it turns into an instant show when I walk in the fitness center. People stand or sit there and watch me lift. Then after I'm done come over and talk to me or go back to what they are doing until I lift again. Very annoying.

I get this, but not for my size. In my gym, hardly anyone deadlifts, or squats. those that do, do it wrong. And for the bigger, more experienced guys, their generally too unsure about squats from all the hype and contradictions that they try and be on the safe side and go no more than quarter the way down, and their too unsure of deadlifts due to all the crap about back pain that they just don't do them.

So if you go into my gym and deadlift, squat deep, or front squat, you get stares. When you go heavy on either, you get an audience.

It's actually an important point to note with regards to 'training atmosphere' - in my gym, if you deadlift 350lbs, your considered extremely strong. If you go into a PL gym, and deadlift 350, you'll be among the weakest in the place.

Recently I done doubles 410-420Lbs (190kg), no gear or belt, at a b/w of 160-165 at the moment. I don't know my max because I've not got to it yet, i've only came back on to deadlifting (4weeks ago) after a knee injury.

anyway, i get far too much attention for it. When I go to the local PL club, it's 'decent / respectable'. Far from anything special. I'm the lightest in the club by a mile, though, but even on a pound for pound, it's a 'decent' lift, and no more.

Commercial gyms suck. If I only ever trained at the commercial gym, I would probably mentally limit myself, which happens when you think your better than you actually are.

First time I trained in the PL club, for example, my previous best was a triple at 330lbs. I went in the club and was stunned at what I saw. DL's of 500lbs being executed like it was speed work. Since my weakest point of the lift was off the floor, I was DLing from a 2-3 inch deficit (making it harder / increased ROM), and pulled 350 for a double. This was the day after my typical DL day, I only intended on speaking to the owner etc to see about joining, but they wanted to see my technique and also suggested lifting from the deficit. I couldn't resist. Despite my back, a$$ and legs being zapped, I blasted a PR... And I put it 100% down to the atmosphere...

(i know the rant was kind of off topic...but it just came out)

To save my off-topicness...

Things that annoy me,

1. The atmosphere in a commercial gym.
2. The standards in a commercial gym
3. Commercial gyms in general.
4. The fact that, for now, I can't avoid training in a commercial gym!

haha i dont care what kind of gym im in. If I'm there I'm there to lift my a$$ off. I know at my gyms the dbells only go to 75s so thats a problem but thats what barbells are for. Also talk about stares when deadlifting im smallish or weak or both and i was on my third set of dead lifts at 8 reps with 305 and everyone was looking at me. Almost like half are wow and the other half think im retarded. A lot of people don't dead lift well at least in my gym. I have been going there for over two years and I'm the only one ive seen in the gym deadlifting. I dead lift from the floor like in the open in front of the mirror is that the right way to do it? I don't bang it on the floor either I control it. OK WOW I pulled a kpj way off topic!!! haha jk but yea stares when im doing a lift that is very beneficial to overall strength is irritating and honeslty old people when im lifting my a$$ off and i see some 75 yr old 85 lb lady come over and do the leg press with 10 lbs I'm thinking....why? lol OK im done

honeslty old people when im lifting my a$$ off and i see some 75 yr old 85 lb lady come over and do the leg press with 10 lbs I'm thinking....why?

Come on don't be raggin on old people, i'm glad to see that they are still active, some of them can't even walk up stairs anymore because their muscles are so deteriorated. Doing exercises like that are a good thing. Also it could be for physical therapy treatment program.

It's more frustration at my own situation than anything else. You kind of know what to expect in a commercial gym, so can't complain too much. It does have it's good points.... Free juice, coffee etc

One thing that really gets me is this - My gym is probably one of the better commercial gyms. Lots of weight, a couple of O bars, and DB's that go up to 110lbs. Yet, they seem to frown on people lifting big weights. How many 'fitness enthusiasts' will even touch a DB close to 100lbs in weight? Not many, you need to be serious about strength and / or size in some for or another to even look at those.

So it can facilitate strong guys, for the most part. But they try and bring you down. If they don't want guys lifting big weights, they shouldn't have big weights - like most commercial gyms.

The biggest joke about my gym is this - the weights area is made up of a thick rubber mat, placed over - and wait for it - ....... a WOODEN FLOOR!!!!

If someone drops DB's in the region of 80-100lbs, you crack a floor board. So you can imagine the turmoil caused when you DL. I call it 'the BOSU Floor' now, because it's basically an unstable surface.

The gym in question is a Fitness First if any of you guys have been to one. I can train at any fitness first (reciprocal membership). I use one about 30 miles from my home sometimes, just for dead lift sessions. They have a concrete floor and sometimes you even see chalk (gasp!).

Anyway, as a private protest, I made this other club my 'home club' - so they get the benefit of my membership money (they actually gave me a slight discount for doing it). So when I swipe into the one close to my home (about 5miles), they always say "you use this one much more, you should make this your home club, obviously you like it more etc etc". In which case I inform them that i'm paying the other gym, rewarding them for their common sense, but for the most part, i'm inflicting wear and tear on their gym, and paying them nothing, and I drink their free juice and coffee.

I openly say i'll continue to DL the way I do(they complain about it breaking the floor which it does) until they officially ban the exercise, throw me out, and tell them that if they fix the floor, I will change home club. They don't even care.

The best part is, someone else I know is about to do the same thing (he got into trouble for dropping the bar whilst DL'ing). He almost canceled, until I offered another, much sweeter solution (and it's the best gym in the area, unfortunately) When this happens, i'm going to say to them "oh btw, another person is now doing what i'm doing, and i'm out to recruit more and more protesters until all the members lifting in your club are paying another one for your troubles!

It's only a matter of time before theirs a new clause on the membership contracts... But it's satisfying none the less.

kpj there is a no dropping weights rule in my gym. They actually have this huge alarm and this blue flashing light that goes off when someone does drop the weights. Sounds like an air raid siren. So when I dead lift I bring them down easy I don't know if that takes away from my actual lift but thats what I have to do. One time a huge dude lifting a crap load of weight was grunting really loudly he had headsets on and he scared the old ladies lifting ten lbs and they complained he was then asked to leave he said no. Since they couldn't make him leave they called the cops. He was arrested and his membership was revoked. Talk about craziness. I would love to grunt drop the weights and not care about klinking them around but my gym forbids that. That is what is annoying.

i know what its called ironmaiden lol I just prefered to describe the craziness that goes along with it then the "lunk alarm" so lame. I accidentally set it off one time doing incline dbell presses with the 75s i was setting them down and obviously i went too fast. I thought there was going to be a fire drill or something lol

kpj there is a no dropping weights rule in my gym. They actually have this huge alarm and this blue flashing light that goes off when someone does drop the weights. Sounds like an air raid siren. So when I dead lift I bring them down easy I don't know if that takes away from my actual lift but thats what I have to do. One time a huge dude lifting a crap load of weight was grunting really loudly he had headsets on and he scared the old ladies lifting ten lbs and they complained he was then asked to leave he said no. Since they couldn't make him leave they called the cops. He was arrested and his membership was revoked. Talk about craziness. I would love to grunt drop the weights and not care about klinking them around but my gym forbids that. That is what is annoying.

Ouch! I've heard about these lunk alarms, sounds disgraceful. Think i would take pleasure in having my membership revoked. I don't normally have such a problem with authority, but that would push me too far.

If there wasn't another gym, the option for a home gym, or any other alternative, I think i would go as far as hitting the road and become an endurance guy...

Gyms over my neck of the woods are becoming more like that, though. There's a big difference in just 2-3 years in the place. Probably only a matter of time.

Whatever appeals to the masses will always win. And the masses don't like people who train properly because it reminds them of how lazy and feeble they are.

You should keep your ear to the ground for a small hardcore gym. Their normally close by, but hard to find. I had been looking for one for ages, found a small PL club that was about a 5 minute walk from where the commercial gym is. This is an area I have grew up in, stayed all my life, and I didn't know it was there. It's in an industrial estate, a medium sized room at the back of a big warehouse type building, you go in and out the fire exit. Membership was about 30% of my existing one.

My issue is that it closes to early for me too make it in ( I work quite far away and normally work late-ish), and it's only open 3 times per week, so I always need another gym to train at. But the lesson to be learned is that the perfect gym could be just around the corner under your own nose, you just don't know about it.

Yea I understand there are some other gyms that I would prefer to be at it's just this one is very close and its cheap 20 dollars a month i can tan for free 50% off drink shirt everything i get a free massage chair thing and I have have a friend come and lift with my everytime i go for free! Lol buuuuuuuutttt the lunk alarm and their rules are crazy. Eventually there will be a perfect gym open like mine 24 hours a day monday through friday night at 8... its pretty sweet but it has its downfall.

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